Chapter 3 #3
Ember looked down at the picture she still held and stared at it for a long moment.
Then she said, “Once when I was a teenager, I went for a run in my neighborhood in Beverly Hills. I knew I should go to the gym, but I was mad at my parents and just needed some space. I hadn’t been running for more than fifteen minutes when a cop car pulled up next to me and wanted to know what I was doing in that neighborhood.
I didn’t have an ID with me, and I could tell he didn’t believe me when I said I lived there.
He escorted me home, and it wasn’t until he saw my parents that he finally left me alone.
I learned my lesson. I know I was raised with so much more privilege than a lot of Black people have, but I’m still judged by the color of my skin. ”
“I looked at some of the comments on your IG account,” Doc said. “You’re very well loved in the world, and yet there are still those ignorant assholes who feel the need to make nasty and uneducated comments.”
Ember nodded.
They stared at each other, and Doc could practically feel the connection between them growing. “The color of your skin doesn’t matter to me in the least. I walked away at lunch because of your fame. That’s my problem though, not yours,” Doc said honestly.
“For what it’s worth…I never wanted to be the Ember Maxwell.
When my mom hired someone to take over my social media, I didn’t care.
I was too busy trying to please my coaches, do my schoolwork, and make my parents happy.
I did what they told me to do, not wanting to rock the boat.
I posed for pictures when they told me to, had my nails and hair done where and how they told me to.
I smiled as directed. Didn’t even stand up for myself or what I wanted when that damn contract for the reality show was signed.
I’ve worked hard to be here today. I’m proud of myself for being an Olympian, but it was never my dream. It was my parents’. And my fans’.
“Don’t get me wrong, I want to medal. I’m competitive, and I’ve worked damn hard over the last few years.
It would be stupid to make the Olympics and not want to do well, for myself and my country.
But if I had my way, I’d win a medal, then disappear from social media forever.
No more photo ops. No more influencer endorsements.
My parents have made me more money than I could ever spend in two lifetimes.
I know it’s silly, because with that kind of money, I could’ve quit long before now, but I think it was just easier to go with the flow.
Do what they wanted me to because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. ”
“And you do now?” he asked, not harshly.
“I know I want to live. Not spend every second of my life training. I want to move someplace where no one knows me and live my life in peace. Maybe I’ll become a professional puzzle putter-togetherer. Or a hermit who only leaves the house to yell at the kids who dare step foot in my yard.”
Doc smiled. Christ, she was adorable. “Why don’t you?”
“Why don’t I what?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“Disable your accounts. Move. Do what you want with your life.”
She stared at him silently.
“You’re an adult, Ember. I get that you don’t want to disappoint your parents, but you also need to do what you want to do.”
“I’m not sure it’s that easy,” she whispered.
“Oh, there will be tears and heartache,” Doc agreed. “But nothing worth doing is ever easy.”
“I do know my passwords to IG and Facebook,” Ember mused.
Doc smiled.
“Holy shit. Am I really even considering that?” Ember asked quietly. “My mom would absolutely lose her shit. Not to mention the four social media managers she hired for me. My dad would probably understand…maybe. He knows how overbearing my mom can get.”
“First things first, champ. You’ve got a couple intense days of competition ahead of you. Why don’t you get through those before you make any huge life decisions?”
Ember stood then and walked toward him.
Doc tensed. For some crazy reason, he wanted to reach out and pull her close. Put his arms around her and see if they fit together as well as he imagined they would. She wasn’t too much shorter than his six-one. And strong. He wouldn’t have to be afraid he’d smother her.
He also had a feeling that, once she came into her own, she’d never let anyone dictate her life again.
He held his breath as she walked into his personal space. She didn’t touch him, but was definitely standing closer than two people who’d just met hours ago normally would.
“You have a nice-looking family,” she said as she held out the picture he’d shown her.
Doc took it from her. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry I make you uncomfortable.”
“It’s my issue, not yours.”
“Still. Thanks for letting me use your window.”
“Anytime. I mean that. If you want to come over and look at the stars tomorrow, it’s not an issue.”
“I won’t be bothering you?” Ember asked.
“Nope.”
“What time do you get off tomorrow?”
“Five.”
“You want to meet up and eat dinner tomorrow? In the cafeteria,” she clarified. “I’m not ready to unleash Ember Maxwell on South Korea. I’m told that I have quite a few followers over here, and I’d hate to disrupt things for the other athletes.”
“I’m not sure other influencers would care about something like that. They’d probably be all about the free publicity.”
Ember wrinkled her nose. “I think we’ve established that I’m not like them.”
“True. In that case, I’d love to have dinner with you. I’ll most likely need to shower beforehand, so why don’t I knock on your door when I’m ready. That way you don’t have to wait downstairs for me and risk getting yourself into uncomfortable situations with others who might recognize you.”
She stared at him for a long moment.
“What?” he asked.
“For someone who isn’t comfortable with my fame, you sure seem to know how to deal with it.”
“I know jack shit,” Doc admitted wryly. “But I do know how to fly under the radar.”
She tilted her head. “You aren’t a regular soldier, are you?”
“No,” Doc said simply. It was too soon to get into more. Besides, they’d be going their separate ways in a week or two. She had no reason to know he was Delta.
“Right.” She took a deep breath, then stepped away from him.
Doc couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment. He did his best to rein it in. “What’s on your schedule for tomorrow?”
“Working out. I’m supposed to meet up with Leila, Nick, and Aiden to practice and to do a few interviews with the press.
We’ve also got some photos we have to do.
Samer—he’s one of my social media managers—came over with us, and he has all sorts of things planned.
He’s super-excited about getting new pictures and some live videos for my accounts.
In the afternoon, I think my mom’s set up a few interviews too.
And I’m sure there will be more pictures. ”
Doc winced.
Ember sighed. “Yeah. I think I’m supposed to do a live reading of some of the letters of encouragement I’ve received. And acknowledge some of the comments on my IG. Followers love that kind of thing.”
Doc shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”
“You don’t have a Facebook or IG account?” Ember asked.
“Fuck no,” Doc told her. “I’ve got no time, or use, for that shit.
You met my friends, the people I care about, earlier at lunch.
I see them just about every day, and we hang out at each other’s places at least once a week.
I don’t give a fuck what someone I went to high school with is doing today.
If they didn’t bother to keep in touch with me after we graduated—and believe me, no one has—then I don’t care to see pictures of their happy families or vacations or whatever bullshit they want others to know about them. ”
“Wow, don’t beat around the bush, tell me what you really think,” Ember said with a laugh.
Doc ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be. It’s actually refreshing. Most people kiss my ass all the time and only tell me what they think I want to hear.”
“I don’t bullshit,” Doc told her honestly. “Ever.”
“Good to know.”
Glancing at his watch, Doc was surprised at how long they’d been talking. “It’s late. You need to get some sleep. I’ll knock on your door around five-fifteen or so. That’ll give me time to clean the stink of the day off myself before we head down to the cafeteria.”
“Sounds good. See you tomorrow.”
“Be safe out there.”
“I will. You too.”
Ember gave him one last long look before she headed for his door. Doc followed at a respectful distance and stood in his doorway, watching her walk down the hall toward her room. He waited until she was safely inside before shutting and locking his own door.
He stood there in the dark for several minutes. Thinking over their conversation.
He genuinely liked Ember. He hadn’t wanted to. Had wanted to think she was just another annoying social media star. For that matter, he’d never expected this trip to be anything more than just another mission.
The fact that he couldn’t get Ember off his mind for most of the night made him realize he might truly be in trouble here.
He probably should have told her that he had to work and couldn’t have dinner with her.
Why start something when she lived in California and he was in Texas?
There were way too many obstacles to any kind of relationship between them.
So why was he already looking forward to tomorrow? To finding out how her day went? And why was he itching to pull out his phone and make an IG account so he could follow her and see any live videos she was planning on doing?
Disgusted with himself, Doc shook his head.
He pulled his wallet and phone out of his pockets and threw them on the desktop.
Then he stripped down to his boxers and climbed under the sheet of the too narrow and short bed.
Closing his eyes, he tried to tell himself that he was only being nice to Ember because she really seemed like she could use a friend.
If Mama Luisa was here, she’d smack him upside the head and tell him to stop lying to himself. He was being nice to Ember because she fascinated him. Intrigued him. And because he desperately wanted to know more about her.
Shit. He was fucked.
He’d seen his friends fall hard and fast for their women.
He recognized the signs. The difference was that he was setting himself up for heartbreak.
Ember was a fucking icon. Recognized the world over, with more connections than probably even the infamous Tex had.
She’d never in a million years want to hook up with a plain ol’ Army soldier like him.